Eight Soft Skills for Success at Work
Navigating the workplace can feel like solving a puzzle — and when you’re blind or have low vision, some pieces, like unspoken social rules, can be even trickier to figure out. This article offers practical tips for teens and young adults to strengthen their social and communication skills for a first or subsequent job, internship, or when volunteering.
Soft Skills vs. Hard Skills
To succeed at work, you need two types of skills: hard skills and soft skills. Hard skills are the specific, technical abilities required for your job. Many of these skills are learned through education, training, and on-the-job experience.
Soft skills, on the other hand, focus on how you interact with people, solve problems, manage your time, and handle challenges. These include your social skills — the way you communicate and connect with others in the workplace. Soft skills transfer to any job or career path. They play a big role in helping you stand out among other job applicants, keep your job, and grow in your career. Employers seek individuals who can work effectively and positively with others and communicate clearly.
No one has perfect social skills all the time — everyone has awkward moments! However, everyone can benefit from a refresher on how to connect, communicate effectively, and foster positive relationships at work. The goal is to keep learning and improving these skills over time.
Let’s look at some specific soft skills and how you can practice and improve them.
Spoken Communication
One of the most important soft skills is how you speak up for yourself and others. When you speak, be mindful of your tone and volume. Be clear and direct about what you need, whether it’s a job accommodation or help on a task. It helps to plan what you want to say ahead of time so you can express your thoughts calmly and confidently.
To learn tips on assertive communication, consider listening to The Jefferson Fisher Podcast | New Episode Every Week!.
Active Listening
Good communication is a two-way street. Active listening shows others that you’re paying attention and genuinely care about what they’re saying. You will want to give people time to finish their thoughts instead of jumping in right away — this is especially important in virtual meetings, where it’s easy to talk over each other by accident.
Additionally, you can reflect back what someone has said, which can prevent misunderstandings and let others know you are seeking to understand them.
Clarifying the speaker’s intent may sound like, “You want the draft by Friday at noon, and you want it to be reviewed by Sarah beforehand. Is that right?”
Non-Verbal Communication
Non-verbal communication plays an important role in showing that you are engaged, interested, and want to be included in the conversation. This can include maintaining an open and welcoming posture, nodding to show agreement, shaking your head to signal confusion or disagreement, making eye contact, and offering a handshake.
If you are blind or have low vision, you may miss some of these non-verbal cues, especially in group settings like meetings. For example, people might raise their hands to be recognized. If you’re unsure what cues are being used, try asking a neighbor or the presenter beforehand so you don’t miss important information.
You can also adapt some non-verbal behaviors to help others feel connected to you. For instance, you can simulate eye contact by keeping your chin up and your face turned toward the speaker. In large meetings, if someone uses a microphone, ask where they are speaking from to help you orient yourself. If you use hearing aids, you might not be able to locate voices easily, so it’s perfectly fine to ask for guidance about who is speaking and from where they are speaking.
Keep in mind that eye contact sends powerful signals. A lack of eye contact can sometimes be perceived as boredom, distraction, nervousness, or even untrustworthiness. This may be why people occasionally speak to others around you instead of addressing you directly. On the other hand, prolonged or overly intense eye contact can make others uncomfortable. Finding a balance helps you appear attentive and approachable.
Teamwork
Strong teams accomplish tasks efficiently and effectively while supporting one another. Being a good teammate means doing your part and helping others when they need it. You will want to complete your tasks so that others who depend on your work can do theirs. This demonstrates your ability to work within deadlines, assist coworkers when requested, and adapt to changing tasks. Rather than a “lone wolf,” employers appreciate (and are more likely to promote) individuals who work well with others.
Patience
Patience is an essential skill when working with a team or serving the public. Problems and misunderstandings are bound to happen, but how you respond can make all the difference.
For example, if a customer or coworker is frustrated about a computer issue and you’re responsible for starting the troubleshooting process, it’s important to remain calm and give clear, patient instructions.
This same approach applies if you handle technology as part of your company’s IT department — you might be the expert, but the person you’re helping may feel overwhelmed or embarrassed about not understanding.
Even if you’re helping your closest work friend, remember that what seems simple to you might not be obvious to someone else when they’re stressed. Taking a few extra moments to explain, answer questions without frustration, and show understanding helps build trust and keeps working relationships strong.
Patience shows that you respect others’ challenges and are willing to support them, even when situations are tense.
Empathy + Boundaries
At work, we often build friendships with coworkers who may be facing professional or personal challenges. If a coworker opens up to you about something difficult, show empathy by listening without judgment, offering appropriate support, and keeping what’s shared confidential. Nobody wants their sensitive issues shared around the workplace.
However, empathy doesn’t mean you have to take on someone else’s problems as your own. It’s important to recognize your limits. For example, if a coworker frequently vents about personal or work-related conflicts, decide whether you can listen without it affecting your own stress level. Sometimes, it’s okay to gently steer the conversation to a different topic, or to suggest they speak with a manager or human resources if the issue is serious.
Likewise, if someone is gossiping or speaking negatively about another coworker, think carefully about whether you should listen at all. If you do, don’t fuel the negativity — listen politely if needed, but don’t add your own commentary. In some situations, it’s perfectly acceptable to set a boundary and excuse yourself from the conversation altogether.
Healthy workplaces thrive when people balance empathy with respect for themselves and others. Being supportive doesn’t mean becoming everyone’s personal counselor — it means caring, listening, and knowing when to draw the line.
Conflict Resolution
Conflict is a normal part of any workplace, but how you handle it makes a big difference in how your coworkers and your boss perceive you. One aspect of conflict resolution is preventing misunderstandings before they grow into bigger issues.
For example, communicating your needs clearly and early can help everyone stay on the same page: “I’m taking my guide dog, Daisey, to get her nails trimmed during my lunch break. So, on June 15, I plan to take lunch from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. I’m letting you know two weeks in advance so we can arrange coverage.”
Checking with your coworker ahead of time and offering reminders can prevent frustration and confusion.
Of course, you can’t avoid every disagreement. When conflicts do come up, it’s best to handle them directly, calmly, and respectfully. Involving your boss should be a last resort for bigger issues — not every small bump in the road.
For example:
“I’ve noticed that when I start to share an idea, I sometimes get interrupted. I value what you have to say, and I’d appreciate it if we could make sure we both have time to finish our thoughts. Can we work on this together?”
Addressing problems one-on-one shows maturity, builds trust, and helps you find solutions that work for everyone.
Constructive Feedback
Being able to give and receive constructive feedback is another valuable skill that helps you grow and support your team. Constructive feedback focuses on work performance, not personal criticism. When you give feedback, be clear, respectful, and specific about what needs to improve — and offer ideas for how to fix it.
For example:
“Sam, I noticed the customer service emails sometimes have spelling errors. Would you like me to proofread them before they go out, or would you like tips on how to double-check?”
When receiving feedback, remind yourself it’s meant to help you improve, not to judge you. You can even ask for feedback regularly — from a coworker, supervisor, or mentor — to keep building your skills.
For example:
“I’d love your feedback on my presentation today. Was there anything I could improve for next time?”
It’s not easy to request and accept feedback. However, it can help you recognize areas where you can improve your job performance (whether hard or soft skills). You can then set goals to improve them.
In Conclusion
Soft skills can always be improved with practice and feedback. Don’t hesitate to seek constructive input from people you trust, such as family, friends, mentors, or vocational rehabilitation staff.
If you’re in school, consider setting some of the above goals in your IEP. If you are utilizing vocational rehabilitation, add relevant goals to your vocational plan.
These supportive people can help you identify what’s working well and what could use more attention. Be sure to check in with them after a few weeks or months to see if they’ve noticed any progress. Small steps add up over time, and with patience and effort, your confidence and communication skills will continue to grow.
You’ll find that your social skills are just as much a strength as any technical skill you bring to the table.
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